Buzz Morison

Dave Sharman’s ‘1990’ is one of the most audacious and appealing rock guitar instrumental albums heard in a long time. Sharman is a self-taught guitar whiz, who is unimpressed by most rock guitarists. ‘1990’ shows him to be a strong, lyrical player, with an innate sense of how to mix articulate speed runs with mature theme lines and cutting melodic solos for maximum effect. Witness a cut like ‘Borrowed Time’ which develops its mood with a huge dose of speed tapping, that swarms about your head like a cloud of belligerent gnats, before exploding into a rocking solo that serves as an emotional release before Sharman returns to that intense tapping theme, like on the following ‘Forgotten Souls’ a mysteriously developed melodic tale, Sharman impresses both with the scope of his guitar skills and his well conceived yet free spirited tunes. With a personal touch, he boldly jumps from blues to funk to metal without losing his voice. Sharman’s a true monster, and one of the best of the new breed.